1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus that enables different types of interface cards to be installed in expansion slots of an industrial computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional interface card (B) located in an expansion slot is first inserted into a fixed support (Al) and then fastened by means of a fixture that extends downwardly from the top of the expansion slot. The fixture includes a fixing support (C) with a hole (C1), and is secured to sides of the expansion slot (A). The interface card is fixed by a fixing block (C2) fastened to the fixing support (C) by a pair of screws (C3) extending through the hole (C1) and nuts (C4) threaded onto the screws.
A disadvantage of the structure of fixing block (C2) is that it can only be fixed to a single type of interface card (B). This is because its hole (C1) is made in advance according to the number of interface cards (B) that are to be fixed in the expansion slot. During installation, the interface card (B) is fixed by the fixing block (C2) using the pair of screws (C3), nuts (C4), and hole (C1). Because the position of the fixing block is restricted by the specific number and arrangement of holes, only a single type of interface card (B) can be installed in the expansion slot (A), using a single installation method. As a result, the conventional expansion slot arrangement lacks diversification and multiple functions.
In addition, it is impossible to fix the interface card without opening the slot in advance. If it is necessary to change the interface card (B), the only way is to select the same type of card, resulting in the further problem that the card might be difficult to fix or no longer available, compounding the difficulties in assembling and disassembling.
The invention provides a pressing plate which can easily be modified to accommodate different interface card height specifications.
Another contribution of this invention is to provide a large fixing area for an interface card that makes it easy to fix types and numbers of interface cards in an expansion slot.